NFL Kickoff Week: Full Schedule, Odds and Our Five Best Bets
The NFL season kicks off this week, and it arrives with some real storylines attached. The Seahawks host the Patriots on Wednesday night in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, the game Seattle won 29 to 13 back in February. Aaron Donald is back from a two year retirement on a one year deal, though the Rams are easing him in and he will not travel to Australia or play in that opener. His 2026 debut is more likely to come the following week at home against the Giants. And Patrick Mahomes makes his return from a torn ACL and LCL on Monday night against Denver, ending an offseason built almost entirely around his recovery. We went 3 for 3 on our college football picks last week, so we are keeping that thread running too. Below is the full NFL Week 1 slate, our three best bets on the pro side, and two college football picks to close out the card.
The Full NFL Week 1 Slate
The week opens on Wednesday with Patriots at Seahawks, the first Super Bowl rematch to open a season in years. Thursday brings the 49ers to Australia to face the Rams, a game that will be missing Donald himself since the Rams are holding him back from the trip as he ramps up for his comeback season. Thirteen more games fill out Sunday, from early kickoffs through the Cowboys and Giants under the lights, before Mahomes and the Chiefs close the week Monday night against the Broncos. Full kickoff times, spreads and totals for every game are in the schedule table that accompanies this preview.
A few of those Sunday games carry real weight beyond the number on the board. Cincinnati looks to bounce back from missing the playoffs when the Bengals host Tampa Bay, the Chargers open as one of the biggest favorites on the board against Arizona, and Washington and Philadelphia kick off an NFC East race that should stay physical all year. But three games stood out to us as the best value on the board, and that is where our money is going this week.
| Matchup | Kickoff | Network | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots at Seahawks | Wed Sept 9, 8:20pm ET | NBC | Seahawks -3.5 | 44.5 |
| 49ers at Rams (Melbourne, Australia) | Thu Sept 10, 8:35pm ET | Netflix | Rams -3.5 | 48 |
| Bears at Panthers | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | FOX | Bears -3 | 47 |
| Buccaneers at Bengals | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | FOX | Bengals -3.5 | 50 |
| Ravens at Colts | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | CBS | Ravens -3.5 | 48 |
| Bills at Texans | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | CBS | Bills -1.5 | 44.5 |
| Saints at Lions | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | FOX | Lions -7 | 49.5 |
| Jets at Titans | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | CBS | Titans -1.5 | 39.5 |
| Browns at Jaguars | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | CBS | Jaguars -8.5 | 40.5 |
| Falcons at Steelers | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET | FOX | Steelers -3.5 | 41.5 |
| Cardinals at Chargers | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET | CBS | Chargers -10 | 47 |
| Packers at Vikings | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET | CBS | Vikings -1.5 | 46 |
| Dolphins at Raiders | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET | FOX | Raiders -3.5 | 40.5 |
| Commanders at Eagles | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET | FOX | Eagles -5.5 | 44.5 |
| Cowboys at Giants | Sun Sept 13, 8:20pm ET | NBC | Cowboys -2.5 | 48.5 |
| Broncos at Chiefs | Mon Sept 14, 8:15pm ET | ESPN | Chiefs -2.5 | 43 |
Lines shown are current as of publish and can move before kickoff. Check Fanatics Sportsbook for live numbers.
Our Three Best NFL Bets
| Matchup | Pick | Kickoff |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers | Bears -3 | Sun Sept 13, 1:00pm ET (FOX) |
| Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders | Raiders -3.5 | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET (FOX) |
| Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings | Packers Moneyline | Sun Sept 13, 4:25pm ET (CBS) |
Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
New head coach Ben Johnson takes over a Bears team that has real expectations attached to it for the first time in years, with Caleb Williams entering year three and an offense built to let him operate. Carolina counters with Bryce Young and Dave Canales, a pairing that has shown flashes but has not put together a full 60 minutes against a team this talented very often.
Yes, it will be hot and humid in Carolina for a 1pm kickoff, and that is worth factoring into how much either offense wants to push the tempo. But this is supposed to be the year Chicago takes a real step forward, and that starts with winning the games a playoff team is expected to win. The Bears are favored by right around 3 points on the road, depending on the book. We like Chicago to get the job done.
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders
Betting on Kirk Cousins has cost us more than once over the years, so backing a game with him under center does not come naturally. But the Raiders named him their starting quarterback for a reason, and a home opener at Allegiant Stadium against a Dolphins team in a full rebuild under new head coach Jeff Hafley, with Malik Willis stepping in at quarterback, is about as favorable a setup as this Raiders team is going to get all season.
Las Vegas is favored by 3.5 points in a game with a modest total near 40.5, and we think that number holds. This might be one of the few times all year we can comfortably back this Raiders team, so we are taking it.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay is banged up heading into this one. Running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list, and Micah Parsons starts the year on reserve, ruled out for at least four games. Those are two of the most important players on the roster, and losing both at once is a real problem for a Packers team that was built to win close games.
Minnesota is only favored by around 1.5 points at home, and we still do not trust what we are seeing behind center. Kyler Murray was named the Week 1 starter after an offseason move to Minnesota, and his entire preparation for this game amounts to one preseason series. Justin Jefferson is back from a hamstring issue, which helps, but we do not believe in Murray running this offense against a defense that knows exactly what it is doing. Green Bay wins this one on the road to open the rivalry. Take the Packers on the moneyline.
College Football Preview
| Matchup | Pick | Kickoff |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Ducks at Oklahoma State Cowboys | Oregon -22.5 | Sat Sept 12, 12:00pm ET (ESPN) |
| Ohio State Buckeyes at Texas Longhorns | Under 48.5 | Sat Sept 12, 7:30pm ET (ABC) |
Oregon Ducks at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oregon opened the season as the No. 2 team in the country and the highest preseason ranking in program history, then needed a late push to beat Boise State by a final score of 34 to 27 at Autzen Stadium. Head coach Dan Lanning called out his team's lack of discipline afterward, and the Ducks dropped to No. 6 in the process. That is exactly the kind of result that tends to sharpen a good team up rather than expose it, and Oklahoma State is not the opponent to test that theory against.
The Cowboys lost 24 to 10 at Tulsa in their own opener, a rough result for Mike Gundy's program against Group of Five competition. Oregon is currently favored by roughly 22.5 points for this one, its first ever trip to Stillwater and just the third meeting between these two programs. We like the Ducks to take that frustration from the Boise State game out on a Cowboys team that looked overmatched in Week 1. Take Oregon to cover.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Texas Longhorns
This is the game of the week for a reason. Ohio State enters as the No. 1 team in the country, Texas sits at No. 3, and both are 1 and 0. It is also a rematch of last season's meeting, when Ohio State ground out a 14 to 7 win at home behind a defense that shut Texas down for most of the night. Arch Manning gets another shot at that Buckeyes defense, this time with a full season of starts under his belt, and Julian Sayin returns at quarterback for Ohio State having taken over the job himself last year.
The number opened close, with Texas sitting as a slight home favorite and the total sitting right around 48.5. Two defenses that both carry real pedigree lining up against two offenses still finding their footing is a recipe for a game that stays under the number. We are backing the under here rather than picking a side.
Catch Every Game and Lock In Your Bets
Sixteen NFL games and two of the best college football matchups of the young season, all in one week. Every pick in this preview can be bet through Fanatics Sportsbook, available now at every Winners and MyWinners venue across Connecticut. Head into your local venue and you can watch every one of this week's matchups live on the big screen while you bet.
Find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every pick in this preview can be bet through Fanatics Sportsbook, available now at MyWinners and at every Winners venue across Connecticut.
Yes. Head into your local Winners venue and you can watch every one of this week's matchups live on the big screen while you bet through Fanatics Sportsbook.
The Seahawks host the Patriots on Wednesday in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won 29 to 13. Aaron Donald is back from a two year retirement, though the Rams are holding him out of Thursday's opener in Melbourne, Australia, with his debut more likely the following week. And Patrick Mahomes makes his return from a torn ACL and LCL on Monday night against the Broncos.
Green Bay is banged up with Josh Jacobs on the commissioner's exempt list and Micah Parsons starting the year on reserve, but Minnesota is only favored by around 1.5 points and is turning to Kyler Murray, who has just one preseason series of preparation for the job.
The Raiders named Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback for a home opener at Allegiant Stadium against a rebuilding Dolphins team, and Las Vegas is favored by 3.5 points in that spot.
